Code Injection
One port-to-process mapping technique involves code injection, a technique
where the mapping process writes writes code into the memory space of all
running processes. Code injection is not only an unreliable method
(incorrect and missing results can often occur, critical code or data may be
overwritten, and many processes can't have
code injected into their memory area anyway) but it is also an abused practice (trojans even use it to bypass some personal firewalls) and can have
adverse effects on the processes that have been injected, sometimes causing
processes to malfunction or crash. In some cases, system instability and even
blue-screens-of-death (BSOD) can result. Code injection usually fails on
protected system services, and in many cases the code being injected is
overwriting existing code. We advise against using such programs on your
system for these reasons, or if you do use them then reboot your computer
afterwards.
Solved: Port Explorer does not use any code injection techniques.
"Brute-force" Mapping
Brute-force port-to-process mapping works by repeatedly battering a few
select Winsock API's to determine which socket handles are in use by each process (this
usually involves code injection first - another problem). It can then determine
further information such as local address and port. Brute-forcing is very slow,
CPU-intensive, unreliable, and cannot be used to take a 'snapshot' of open ports.
In addition, these
techniques usually fail on protected system services.
Solved: Port Explorer does not use any brute-force techniques.
Failure to display remote host
address/port
It's one thing for a port-to-process mapper to determine the local address
and port of a socket, but surprisingly it usually requires a lot of extra work
in order to determine the remote address and port, and in some cases this
information isn't available, depending on which techniques are used. Remote host
address/port information is very important so it is vital that these details are
retrieved and made available to the user.
Solved: Port Explorer is able to show the remote host address and port under
all circumstances and conditions.
Slow
For various reasons, many port-to-process mappers take an extraordinarily
long time to display their results - some take several seconds, some even take
several minutes!
Solved: Port Explorer is able to retrieve and display results
immediately, and it's interface has been optimally designed so that if the list
changes are subtle, you probably won't even notice them.
CPU Hog
Many port-to-process mappers (particularly the slower ones) use a lot of CPU
when they're executing their mapping routines. This can dramatically slow your
system down in some cases and can sometimes cause problems with other
applications.
Solved: Port Explorer usually sits on exactly 0% CPU usage, only raising
slightly above 0 when executing its main mapping routines (which are optimised
to be CPU-efficient).
Only supports a particular version
of Windows
Nearly all port-to-process
mapping techniques only work on one or two versions of the Windows operating
system. For example, if one technique works on Windows 95/98, it usually won't
work on any other operating systems. Likewise, if a technique works under
Windows XP, it almost certainly won't work under Windows 95/98. For these
reasons, most port-to-process mappers only support a particular version of
Windows.
Solved: Port Explorer utilises several port-to-process mapping techniques
so that it works on virtually all Windows platforms, including
Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, NT4, 2K, and XP.
Large program that requires a lot of memory
Some port-to-process mappers are several megabytes in size yet they do a lot
less than Port Explorer.
Solved: Port Explorer has been designed and compiled for maximum optimisation
and fits on a single floppy disk. Port Explorer uses very little memory, and
even comes with a Reduce Memory Usage feature that swaps Port Explorer from
memory onto disk.
Doesn't
let you kill sockets
There are many times you'll look at the results of a
port-to-process mapper and wish to kill/close a socket. Surprisingly, very few
port-to-process mappers provide this capability.
Solved: Port Explorer not only lets you kill sockets, it also gives you the
unique capability to disable a socket/process's ability to send and/or receive
data.
Doesn't
show all sockets
Most port-to-process mappers fail to display all sockets on your system
(particularly those of protected services), and in some cases inaccurate
information is reported.
Solved: Port Explorer accurately reports all sockets open by all processes.
Poor Interface
Some port-to-process mappers consist of nothing other than a
command prompt/console window, making the reported data particularly hard to
read and analyse.
Solved: Port Explorer has a highly configurable user-friendly interface
that is supported by an iconic menu system and sortable list, allowing you to
find the information you're after, quickly..
No realtime reporting
The capability to report in realtime in a log format is very important,
especially when you consider that many sockets open and close faster than most
port-to-process mappers refresh their display, so realtime traffic reporting is
often the only way to be aware of the existance of such sockets.
Solved: Port Explorer has powerful realtime traffic
logging capabilities, and data can be logged both to the main Port Explorer
window, and to a log file.
Only available with English text
English is the most common language on the Internet but there are many
millions of Internet users who cannot speak or read English very well, if at
all. This makes it very hard for non-English speaking users to use the
program.
Solved: Port Explorer is the only port-to-process mapper in the world that
supports multiple languages, and the language can be switched on the fly. See
the Languages page for more information.
The iconic menu system also makes it easy to visually identify menu items.
Lack of documentation
We realise that people using Port Explorer have varied levels of experience
with such programs, and that there is nothing more frustrating than not being
able to find an answer to your question. Many port-to-process mappers come with
little documentation if any at all, leaving the user very much alone and
in-the-dark when it comes to help.
Solved: Port Explorer comes with the largest help file of all port-to-process
mappers, comprehensively covering all subjects in a way that is easy for all
readers to understand. If for some reason the help file fails to answer your
question, please see the Support section.
Lack of support
Many port-to-process mappers are provided "as is"
and with no support. This can be particularly frustrating if the program also
has lack of documentation, or the documentation doesn't answer your question.
Solved: Port Explorer registered members are entitled to free email support
Mon-Fri during business hours - we're here for you. There is also a free public
forum where Port Explorer users can discuss issues and questions, see the Port
Explorer website for details.